


Something We Agree On

by readwritecoffee



Category: All For the Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Mentions of Homophobic Remarks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-09 19:28:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6920068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/readwritecoffee/pseuds/readwritecoffee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nicky has to tell Erik about the men who attacked him outside of Eden's Twilight and the aftermath of Andrew defending him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something We Agree On

Nicky had always been grateful for the existence of video calls. Talking with Erik during his last semester of high school, and then again when he moved back to take custody of Aaron and Andrew, had been made infinitely better when he was able to see him…able to see his smile as he told Nicky about his day…able to see his flushed cheeks and parted lips when their talks got a little less (ahem) mundane. 

But now, as he sat in bed with his laptop to his side because his legs were too bruised to support its weight, he suddenly wished that technology hadn’t advanced this far. Carrier pigeons would have been nice, he thought, as he waited for the video call to connect. Even his tone of voice would give him away, even without the added image of his bruised face. Yep, carrier pigeons would have been nice.

He was torn from his thoughts when the computer beeped, indicating that Erik had accepted the call, moments before he heard a, “Hey, babe,” in German. He didn’t respond right away, and Erik only let a few moments pass before he followed with, “Love, I can’t see you. Can you press the video button?”

Nicky took a shuddering breath and wiped a hand across his face, wincing as he pressed into the most tender bruises, before he said, “I will in a minute. I just-” He wished he could say all of this in English. Struggling to find the right words in a language that, though he was fluent in, still didn’t come completely naturally, was made even harder by the pounding in his head. “Please don’t freak out. You’re going to see something you won’t like, but I promise, it looks worse than it is. Okay?”

“Fine, babe, you’re scaring me.”

Before either of them could say anything else, Nicky enabled the video and winced at Erik’s sudden intake of breath. He didn’t say anything at first, electing instead to press his fingers to the screen as if he could soothe the injuries from thousands of miles away. Eventually, with a tremble to his lip, he said, “What happened?”

Nicky didn’t answer right away. Instead he pressed his fingers to his own screen. Erik took a breath and Nicky could see that his eyes were clouded with unshed tears. “What happened?” he asked again.

The desperation in his voice is what pushed Nicky over the edge. In halting sentences, he told the whole story. Of stepping out behind Eden’s Twilight for his break. Of the four men stumbling towards him, obviously drunk, and spewing their homophobic vitriol. Of the first punch that took him by surprise. Of the second and the third that didn’t. “I tried to fight back, I promise I did,” he said, not looking at the computer as he said it. “There were just so many of them. I’m sorry, baby. I’m so, so sorry.”

Erik made a choking sound, and Nicky glanced at him in time to see him rubbing a hand across his eyes. “Don’t you apologize,” he hissed. He took another breath to compose himself, before he said, “How did you get them to stop?”  
Nicky’s breath hitched them. He’d tried so hard to keep it together for Erik’s sake, but his heart started racing as he tried to get the words out. “Andrew, he-” and then the words were flowing again. Andrew coming out of the shadows. Andrew, not saying a word, not making a sound, as he tore them down one at a time. How it took three bouncers from the club to pull Andrew away. How in the end it had been Andrew in the back of a police car, while Nicky’s assailants were relegated to ambulances.

“I’m supposed to be taking care of him, and now he might be facing criminal charges.”

“How can they punish him for protecting you?” Erik’s anger wasn’t exactly surprising, but Nicky still jumped.

“I - it was really bad, Erik. He almost killed them,” Nicky said, his voice dropped to a whisper. Andrew wasn’t in the house - he had to be kept overnight until they figured out bail - and Aaron was already asleep, but Nicky was still hesitant at the thought of being overheard. “And it’s all my fault. I’m his guardian. He shouldn’t have to have even been in that situation. I’m the one who got him the job there. If I hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been there. He-”

“Stop it. Just stop, Nicky.” Erik looked as if he’d finally reached his breaking point. Tears were flowing down his cheeks now, despite his best efforts at rubbing them away. “If he hadn’t been there, _they_ could have killed _you_. I wish he had killed them. I-”

His eyes strayed from the camera, and Nicky could see his hands moving as they flew over his keyboard. “What are you doing?”

“What do you think I’m doing?” Erik responded. His eyes were moving back and forth as they read something on his screen. “I’m trying to change my flight. I should be able to leave tomorrow night.”

“What? No!” Nicky was as surprised at the return of the volume to his voice as Erik was. Nicky was shaking his head when Erik’s attention returned to him. “No, babe, that’s not - I want you here, I really do. But I’m probably not going to be at the house much. I have to get Andrew settled back at home once his bail’s set. I - You’ll be here in two weeks anyways for Thanksgiving. It’s your first one, I want to make sure it’s perfect. Let’s just keep everything the way we had it planned, okay? I should be able to get everything in order by then. Please?”

Erik looked conflicted. _God_ how Nicky wanted him here. But he didn’t want to add more stress to Aaron’s and Andrew’s lives. A new person in the house on top of the events of tonight might just send them all over the edge. Eventually, though, he nodded, though a deep frown was pulling at his lips. “Fine. Fine.”

They sat there in silence for too long, until Nicky said, “I know we don’t usually talk everyday, but do you think we can talk again tomorrow? I really, really miss you.”

“Just try to stop me,” Erik said with what looked like his attempt at a smile.

 

THE WEEKEND BEFORE THANKSGIVING

 

At most of their reunions, Erik would brace himself in the middle of the airport while Nicky charged towards him and leapt into his arms, latching his legs around Erik’s waist as he kissed him senseless. 

Today saw a break from that tradition.

Nicky shuffled forward, still mindful of the bruises and cuts littering his body. He collapsed more than flung himself into Erik’s arms, and allowed himself to be tucked into Erik’s chest. “I love you,” Nicky mouthed into Erik’s shirt. 

“I love you, too,” Erik whispered into Nicky’s hair. “God, I’ve missed you.”

As Nicky led Erik towards the car, wincing as people ran into him and jar this still healing body, Nicky told him about the last couple of weeks. “Andrew’s home, but he’s really distant. Like even more than before. They’re still not sure what they’re going to do with him. Maybe medication or therapy or something. No one really wants him to go to jail,” Nicky said as he slid into the driver’s seat. He maneuvered them into traffic before dropping his hand to the center console for Erik to take. “Aaron’s even worse. He’s mad at both of us…me for being in that situation and Andrew for going too far. I told them you were coming, though, so hopefully they’ll at least be civil. I’m sorry if they’re not.”

Erik rubbed his thumb over Nicky’s palm as they drove. “Don’t apologize, love. I’m here for you. My parents also told me to tell you that they loved you and that they’re proud of you and that they can’t wait to see you when you’re able to get away next. They wanted to let you know that it’s amazing what you’re doing for your cousins and that most people get years to prepare for dealing with teenagers in their care…that they’re proud of you for everything you’ve done without those years of preparation. My mom also sent cookies for you and threatened everything dear to me if I even tried to eat one.”

Nicky smiled, and his wince was barely visible as it pulled at the stitches on his cheek. 

 

“Guys,” Nicky called in English when they stepped into the house. When no one responded, he pointed to the corner where Erik could drop his bag, before leading him into the kitchen. There they found Aaron sitting at the table with a book open and Andrew leaning against the counter with an ice cream sundae in front of him. 

Andrew pushed the dish away when Erik crossed the threshold.

“Guys, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

“You’re Erik,” Andrew said in German, and no one missed the way his hand slipped in the direction of the block of knives.

Erik stepped forward with a hand extended. “I am. And I want to thank you.”

Aaron had turned towards them now, not having paid any of them any attention up until this point. His eyes shifted from where Andrew’s hand rested close to the knives to Erik’s outstretched one.

“You don’t hurt him,” Andrew said. He was wearing a smile, though it was scarier than it was reassuring. It was clear that his greeting was a direction. The _or else_ was heavily implied. “I don’t like when people hurt him.”

Erik let his hand fall, but he maintained Andrew’s gaze. “That’s something we agree on, then. I look forward to getting to know you.” He did shift his gaze toward Aaron for a moment, then, though it ultimately returned to Andrew. “Both of you.”

Andrew lost interest at that point and returned his attention to his ice cream. Aaron returned his gaze to his book.

Nicky, though, couldn’t tear his gaze from Erik. “I should - I should show you to my - our room,” he finally said, when it was clear that the twins were dismissing them.

Erik nodded and followed Nicky from the room. They didn’t make it up the stairs though. As soon as they were out of the line of sight of the kitchen, Nicky turned on Erik and crowded into his space. They ended up with Erik pressed against the wall and Nicky leaning into him with his hands tangled in Erik’s hair and their lips crushed together in the hardest kiss they’d shared since Erik’s last visit. 

“Babe?” Erik asked when Nicky pulled away to breathe.

“I love you so damn much,” Nicky whispered. Pain was exploding across his side where he’d been kicked in the ribs that night, but for the moment it didn’t matter. He hadn’t realized how much he needed Erik here until that moment. 

“Let’s go upstairs,” Erik whispered.

Nicky did wince, then, as every shift of their bodies rubbed against one of his many injuries. “I don’t know if I can do _things_ ,” he said, his voice small now, like he was waiting to push Erik’s good graces too far. "I'm not...I'm still in a lot of pain."

“I don’t care about any of that. I just want to hold you…make sure for myself that you’re going to be okay.”

There was a sudden intake of breath, and and then Nicky was burying his face in Erik’s shoulder and crying for the first time since that night. He was still crying as he led Erik up to their room and allowed himself to be maneuvered into their bed, and when Erik spooned up behind him and started running his hands through his hair.

“Rest, Nicky,” Erik whispered. “I’m here, love. I promise everything is going to be okay.” 


End file.
